By To many, you wouldn’t regard Spain as having a rich pure road racing heritage, they in fact have one of the strongest in continental Europe.
This is illustrated in full by the famous Montjuïc circuit, located around the Montjuïc mountain in Barcelona, Catalonia.
Photo by Joan Segura
The roads venue, provided a variety of different challenges for two and four wheeled competitors. High speed in nature it was considered a circuit, with no room for error, making it one of the most challenging events across Europe.
Montjuïc’s first major motorsport event, was held back in 1933, when it hosted the Penya Rhin Grand Prix.
Photo by Google Images
From 1950 through to 1968, it held Spain’s round of the Moto GP world championship, then regained it’s Spanish Grand Prix status in 1970, and then again in 1972, 1974 and 1976.
In those 19 years, stars a plenty graced 3.79 kilometres long, roads circuit. This included the legendary 14 times TT winner Mike Hailwood and fellow Mountain Course legend Giacomo Agostini.
Added famous names to grace Spain’s most famous roads event included Gary Hocking, Jim Redman MBE, Phil Read MBE, Hugh Anderson MBE, Luigi Taveri, Chas Mortimer and Bill Ivy.
At this present moment in time obviously Spain is widely regarded as the dominant force of Moto GP, they still hold pure road races though, including the popular La Baneza Road Races.
Taking place every August each year, La Baneza, although perhaps different in size, carries many of the characteristics that made Montjuïc so universally famous.
Words by Stevie Rial
